Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Neighborhood schools

Kids grasp math a cool way, lightning fast

Despite less time this season, Rick Peckham, voice of the Lightning, is visiting schools with his presentation.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published January 1, 2006

Lightning program continues through season: Rick Peckham saw math as a pleasant diversion to pass the time while his team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, sat out the season.

Once the National Hockey League returned to the ice, the Lightning announcer found himself with less time than expected to bring his "Hockey by the Numbers" lesson to area elementary schools.

"We weren't able to get to too many schools early on," Peckham said, explaining that teachers were implementing new curriculum and the Lightning were traveling frequently.

That doesn't mean the program, which combines math problems with hockey statistics and video clips, has been benched. The Lightning remain the defending Stanley Cup champs, and their 2004 statistics still make for good math.

When new players come, and as the new season progresses, Peckham can create different problems for the students to solve.

The program has gained some financial footing, as well. Suncoast Federal Credit Union has signed on as a sponsor, and a growing list of schools has lined up to join in.

With a break in the hectic Lightning schedule, Peckham visited Davis Elementary on Nov. 28 and Lomax Elementary the following day.

"I've scheduled a number of them in January," he said. "The second half of the year, I think schools are making room for it."

New friendships in Westchase: Misfortune brought Russell Humphrey and Dana Clements' class of Westchase Elementary School third-graders together in August. Humphrey had been mugged outside a nearby Circle K, and the children wanted to comfort him.

They brought him to campus, replaced all his stolen items (and then some), and urged Humphrey not to be afraid of traveling around town on his motorized scooter.

Since then, Humphrey has found friendship in the group of youngsters. After Humphrey's initial school visit, he has invited the kids to his complex for a pool party, and they also got together for the winter holidays.

"They really put a shimmer of brightness on a lot of faces," said Humphrey, who no longer travels the area at night.

The children, in turn, sold their story to a national student-oriented weekly newsletter for $250, and are using the money to adopt an animal at Big Cat Rescue in Citrus Park.

They got a new pen pal too. A woman read of their generosity to Humphrey and arranged for them to write to her nephew, Spc. Kevin Thayer, who is stationed in Iraq.

"It's actually helped a lot for the stress of having to go out every day and do my job," Thayer said.

For their part, the kids are just happy to brighten others' lives.

"It's fun because you get to meet someone that you haven't known before, and you get to actually make someone feel real good inside," said Alyssa Pearson, 8.

[Last modified December 31, 2005, 09:28:04]